Background:: Food aid programs are strategies that aim to improve nutritional status and to tackle food insecurity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a National Food Supplementary Program for Children on households&rsquo; food security.

Methods:: The study sample included 359 mothers of children aged 6&ndash;72 months under the coverage of the program in two provinces of Iran. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the households and percentage of supplementary food items consumed by target child were assessed by a questionnaire and checklist. Data on household food security were collected by locally adapted Household Food Insecurity Access Scale at the baseline of the study and 6 months thereafter.

Results:: At the baseline, only 4.7% of families were food secure, while 43.5% were severely food insecure, and these proportions were changed to 7.9% and 38%, respectively (P &lt; 0.001), at the end of the study. Odds of having worse food insecurity in households with medium and high wealth index was 65% and 87% lower than those with low wealth index, respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2&ndash;0.61, and OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.12&ndash;0.43). Food sharing was common among more than 95% of the studied households. Mean maternal body mass index (BMI) increased significantly after 6 months (P &lt; 0.001). However, there was no significant association between mother's BMI and household food security in the baseline and at the end of the study (P &gt; 0.05).

Conclusions:: Findings show that the food supplementary program for children can also improve the household food security status. Further research is needed to assess other factors that affect the effectiveness of this kind of programs.

Figure 1: Food security status of the household at the baseline and 6 months thereafter. FI differences were significant at the end of the study: P < 0.05. FI: Food insecure

Mentions:
Figure 1 presents the food security status of the household at the baseline and 6 months thereafter. Results showed that more than 80% of households at the baseline of the study suffered from moderate-to-severe food insecurity, while only 4.7% were FS. After 6 months, the proportion of FS families increased to 7.9%, and severe and mild food insecurity decreased from 43.5% and 13.1% to 38% and 11.6%, respectively. These changes were significant at the end of the study (P < 0.05) [Figure 1]. In more than half of the studies households, food security status did not change at the end of the study. Food security status of 19.3% and 28.2% of the studied household became worse and better, respectively, at the end of the study.

Figure 1: Food security status of the household at the baseline and 6 months thereafter. FI differences were significant at the end of the study: P < 0.05. FI: Food insecure

Mentions:
Figure 1 presents the food security status of the household at the baseline and 6 months thereafter. Results showed that more than 80% of households at the baseline of the study suffered from moderate-to-severe food insecurity, while only 4.7% were FS. After 6 months, the proportion of FS families increased to 7.9%, and severe and mild food insecurity decreased from 43.5% and 13.1% to 38% and 11.6%, respectively. These changes were significant at the end of the study (P < 0.05) [Figure 1]. In more than half of the studies households, food security status did not change at the end of the study. Food security status of 19.3% and 28.2% of the studied household became worse and better, respectively, at the end of the study.

Background:: Food aid programs are strategies that aim to improve nutritional status and to tackle food insecurity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a National Food Supplementary Program for Children on households&rsquo; food security.

Methods:: The study sample included 359 mothers of children aged 6&ndash;72 months under the coverage of the program in two provinces of Iran. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the households and percentage of supplementary food items consumed by target child were assessed by a questionnaire and checklist. Data on household food security were collected by locally adapted Household Food Insecurity Access Scale at the baseline of the study and 6 months thereafter.

Results:: At the baseline, only 4.7% of families were food secure, while 43.5% were severely food insecure, and these proportions were changed to 7.9% and 38%, respectively (P &lt; 0.001), at the end of the study. Odds of having worse food insecurity in households with medium and high wealth index was 65% and 87% lower than those with low wealth index, respectively (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.2&ndash;0.61, and OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.12&ndash;0.43). Food sharing was common among more than 95% of the studied households. Mean maternal body mass index (BMI) increased significantly after 6 months (P &lt; 0.001). However, there was no significant association between mother's BMI and household food security in the baseline and at the end of the study (P &gt; 0.05).

Conclusions:: Findings show that the food supplementary program for children can also improve the household food security status. Further research is needed to assess other factors that affect the effectiveness of this kind of programs.